Welcome to the ongoing saga of my new life in Italy. Starting with an innocent masters program in gastronomic science, I was seduced subsequently into the dream of making a fine wine in the Marche. It's a work in progress, welcome to the story of Nascondiglio di Bacco,

Friday, August 08, 2008

8 AgostoAs it nears the festa of San Lorenzo and my compleanno, it is time to remind everyone of the best meteor shower of the year. It will peak between the above 2 festivals on the 12th of August and after the moon sets around 0130 until dawn, you can see up to 90 meteorites per hour. The best chance to see a "fireball" is nearer to dawn about 0500. The temporale di stelle cadente will start about the 10th and continue until the 14th if you catch a cloudy night. Yesterday, we finished inside work at 1430 after fixing breakfast for 17, lunch for 8, cleaning rooms etc. I took a half hour to listen to the COR sermon for the week and then headed down into the valley to put in another 400 tutors. I also baked a new bread which is a combo of whole wheat and 5 grain flours. As I may have written, we are now full until the 23rd of August and turn down at least 5 or more requests a day for rooms around feragosto which is the 15th of August and a holiday similar to our 4th of July.It is good to be wanted!Today, I think is day 131 for the pool and it still has its glitches. The "pool guys" which is a title I am using more and more loosely (they are at least guys), are coming almost every day to try and figure out the problems. The pool is easy on the eyes, at least, and swimmable and the guests really enjoy it. By chance or luck, there is always a place in the shade throughout the day and a place for the tanners as well.The pictures show our Cabernet Sauvignon vines, our Pecorino vines where I am still putting in the iron training poles, our 2 new workers who started Tuesday, HALLELUJAH! and are cutting each vine-all 28,000- back to 2 branches and tying them to the tutors, the results of the new bread recipe and Bacco guarding his cow hip which used to be twice as big! A big PS, the weeds in the middle of the rows are not important and can be eradicated with our neighbor's tractor when the time becomes necessary. Right now, we just have to keep the zone around each vine clean.dds